TV and home entertainment

TV mounting, aerials and home entertainment in Epsom

A television on the wall looks best with nothing dangling under it. We wall-mount TVs in Epsom homes, hide the cables, put the power and data points behind the screen, and sort out the aerial that brings the channels in.

A lounge with a television mounted on a panelled white wall above a low timber media unit, with a floor lamp and an armchair

Mounting a screen on an older wall

The wall behind the TV decides how the job is done. In one of Epsom's period houses it may be old plaster, timber lining or later plasterboard, and it may have been patched over the years. A large screen on a bracket puts real load on its fixings, so the bracket is fixed into the framing, not just the lining, and the studs and dwangs are found before anything is drilled.

Hiding the cables is the other half. Where the framing allows, power and signal cables run inside the wall from the screen down to the media unit. Where a wall cannot be opened, such as solid masonry or a lining worth keeping, a slim channel painted to match is the tidy alternative.

A power point behind the screen is new fixed wiring, so it is done by an electrician and comes with a Certificate of Compliance. If the room is being renovated, it is worth planning the TV wall at the same time as any rewiring of the older circuits, while the linings are off.

Aerial, dish or streaming

Free-to-air television now arrives three ways. Freeview explains that its channels can be streamed on most smart TVs, tuned in through a satellite dish, or picked up with a UHF aerial where there is UHF coverage, which Freeview puts at 86 percent of New Zealanders. A household can use more than one: an aerial for live channels and recording, and the internet for everything else.

If the TV leans on streaming, a wired data point behind it is steadier than Wi-Fi, particularly in a big house where the router is at the other end. We install aerials and the coaxial cable from the roof to each TV point, and run data cabling back to the router or a central point so every screen and the home office get a reliable connection.

Home entertainment wiring

Wall mounting

Brackets fixed into the framing at a comfortable viewing height.

Hidden cabling

Power, aerial and HDMI cables run inside the wall or in a matching channel.

Power behind the screen

A new power point where the TV and its devices actually sit, tested and certified.

Data points

Wired internet to the TV, games console and home office, run back to the router.

Aerials

UHF aerials and the coaxial cabling to each TV point in the house.

Speakers and home theatre

Cabling for wall or ceiling speakers in a lounge or media room, planned before the linings go on.

TV and aerial questions

How big a TV can go on the wall?

That depends on the bracket's rating and what it is fixed into. Most walls can carry a large screen once the bracket is fixed into the framing; very heavy screens or unusual walls may need extra framing added.

Can the TV go above the fireplace?

It can, if the chimney breast or wall will take the fixings and the screen is clear of the heat from the fire. It does put the screen higher than ideal for watching, so a tilting bracket helps.

Do I still need an aerial if I have fibre?

Not necessarily. Freeview can be streamed on most smart TVs, so an aerial is mainly for live channels without relying on the internet, and for recording.

Can you put a power point behind the TV?

Yes. It is new fixed wiring, so it is done by an electrician and comes with a Certificate of Compliance.

Can you wire a whole media room before a renovation?

Yes, and it is the best time. Power, data, aerial and speaker cabling can all go in while the walls are open, alongside any lighting work; see LED lighting for Epsom homes.